The present invention relates to a multi-directional input device used for input operation in various kinds of electronic equipment, such as a cell phone, information terminal, video game machine, and remote control. The present invention also relates to electronic equipment using the multi-directional input device.
A multi-way input device using a multi-way operating switch, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Non-Examined Publication No. H10-125180, is known as a conventional multi-directional input device of this kind. The structure and operation of the multi-way operating switch are described with reference to FIGS. 27 to 29.
FIG. 27 is a sectional view of the multi-way operating switch. FIG. 28 is an exploded perspective view thereof. With reference to the drawings, box-like case 1 of an insulating resin houses dome-like movable contact 2 of a resilient metallic thin plate in the center of the case. At the ends of the inside bottom surface of box-like case 1, four outside fixed contacts 3 in electrical continuity with one another are disposed. Inside of outside fixed contacts 3, a plurality of (four, in this case) separate inner side fixed contacts 4 (4A to 4D) are arranged in positions equidistant from the center of dome-like movable contact 2 so as to be spaced equally. Mounted over the outside fixed contacts 3 is the outer peripheral edge of dome-like movable contact 2. Output terminals (not shown) in electrical continuity with each of fixed contacts are led to the outside. The opening through the top face of box-like case 1 is covered with cover 5. Operating body 6 comprises shaft 6A, and flange 6B integrally formed with the bottom end of the shaft. Shaft 6A projects from through hole 5A in the center of cover 5. Knob 8 is attached to the tip of the shaft. Flange 6B is fitted in inner wall 1A of case 1 and housed therein so that flange 6B cannot rotate but can tilt. Four pressing body 7 (7A to 7D, 7D not shown) on the bottom face of flange 6B corresponding to the four inner side fixed contacts 4 are in contact with the top face of dome-like movable contact 2. This contact urges the top face of flange 6B against the backside of cover 5 and keeps operating body 6 in vertical neutral position.
With a multi-way switch structured as above, when the left top face of knob 8 is depressed downwardly as shown by the arrow in a sectional view of FIG. 29, operating body 6 tilts from the vertical neutral position shown in FIG. 27 to the left side around a fulcrum at the right top face of flange 6B. Pressing body 7A depresses dome-like movable contact 2 and resiliently and partially turns it inside out and brings dome-like movable contact 2 into contact with inner side fixed contact 4A corresponding to pressing body 7A. This action short-circuits outside fixed contact 3 and inner side fixed contact 4A and brings them into the ON state. Then, an electric signal thereof is transmitted to the outside via the output terminals. When the depressing force applied to knob 8 is removed, operating body 6 is returned to its original vertical neutral position by the restoring force of dome-like movable contact 2. Thus, outside fixed contact 3 and inner side fixed contact 4A are returned to the OFF state.
In multi-way input device using this multi-way operating switch, a computing unit, such as a micro computer, recognizes a direction in which operating body 6 is tilted, according to the above-mentioned electric signal. The signal informs which one of four inner side fixed contacts 4 outside fixed contact 3 is in electrical continuity with. Then, the computing unit generates a signal indicating the direction in which operating body 6 is tilted, i.e. an input direction.
In the above-mentioned conventional multi-way operating switch, the number of directions in which input operation can be performed, i.e. resolution of input directions, is determined by the number of inner side fixed contacts 4 with which dome-like movable contact 2 partially and resiliently turning inside out can make contact. In order to ensure stable performance of the multi-way operating switch of a size for use in recent downsized electronic equipment, setting the number of inner side fixed contacts 4 more than four is difficult. Therefore, a number of input directions of eight is considered as the limit because the input direction is recognized intermediate between adjacent two inner side fixed contacts when they are both in the ON state.
The present invention addresses the conventional problem discussed above. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a multi-directional input device that has a size for use in recent downsized electronic equipment and a large number of input directions, i.e. high resolution of input directions, and to provide electronic equipment using the input device.
The multi-directional input device of the present invention has an electronic component for input.
The electronic component for input comprises:
an upper resistor layer on the bottom face of a flexible insulated substrate, formed like a circular ring having a predetermined width, and having two leads, one lead in electrical continuity with all inner circumference and the other lead in electrical continuity with all outer circumference of the circular ring;
a lower conductor layer on a planar board, disposed like a circular ring so as to be opposed to the upper resistor layer with a predetermined insulation gap, and having a predetermined lead; and
an elastic driver mounted on the flexible insulated substrate, the elastic driver having, on the bottom face thereof, a disk-like elastic pressing portion that is opposed to the backside of the upper resistor layer with a predetermined clearance, the driver having, on the top face thereof, a spherical portion rotatably engaged in a circular hole through a top cover and a driving knob portion in the center of the spherical portion. When the elastic driver tilts, the elastic pressing portion partially and downwardly warps the flexible insulated substrate, thereby bringing the upper resistor layer and the lower conductor layer in the tilt direction into partial contact with each other.
In this state, a tilt direction and a tilt angle of the elastic driver are recognized according to the information from the leads of the upper resistor layer and the lower conductor layer at high resolution. The multi-directional input device of the present invention can improve the resolution of the tilt directions in which the elastic driver is tilted, i.e. input directions. In addition, it can further divide input directions according to the angles at which the elastic driver is tilted. Therefore, the multi-directional input device of the present invention has an extremely high resolution.